Overview productivity management

Definition of Productivity


Productivity: Definition
Productivity is the relationship between the
outputs generated from a system and the
inputs that are used to create those
outputs. Mathematically

P =

O
I


Systems Concept
inputs
Land
people
capital
facilities
equipment
tools
energy
materials
information

transformations
SYSTEM

O

I
productivity

outputs
Goods
and
services

Customers


Mathematically, How Can We
Increase Productivity?


Productivity Improvement
Productivity Improvement (PI) is the result of
managing and intervening in transformation
or work processes.
PI will occur if:

O O
I I

O O O
I
I
I

Measuring Productivity
 Static:

P=O/I in a given period of time (t).
Useful for benchmarking purposes.

 Dynamic:

p(1)=O(1)/I(1); p(2)=O(2)/I(2);
then p(2)/p(1) yields a dimensionless index
that reflects change in productivity between
periods. ((p(2)-p(1))/p(1))*100 yields the
percentage change between periods.


Measuring Productivity
(Continued)
 Partial-Factor:

Uses a single “I” factor;
e.g., output/labor-hour, sales/employee

 Multi-Factor:

Uses more than one “I”
factor; e.g. output/direct costs (labor,
materials, and overhead).

 Total-Factor:

Uses all “I” factors.

(Note: Total-Factor captures “trade-offs”
between input factors.)


Measurement Problems
 Multiple
 Varied

products/services (aggregation-O)

categories, types, and levels of input

resources (aggregation-I)
 Price/cost

changes of outputs & inputs

 Redesigned

products, services, processes

 “Hard-to-measure”

factors (e.g., quality)


Application of Productivity
Measures

 Individual
 Group

level

level

 Department
 Corporate
 National
 Global

level

level

level

level


Global-Level Productivity
 Why

are global-level productivity measures

important?
 How

do we compare productivity among

nations?
 How

can a nation increase productivity in a

global economy?


Importance of Global-Level
Productivity Measures
 Measure

and compare competitiveness
among nations.

 Contribute

to the development of a nation’s
economic, social, and political policies.

 Develop
 Help

global cooperation among nations.

business organizations make
investment decisions.

Global-Level Productivity Measures
 Organisation

for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) –
/>
 GDP

per capita (labor productivity * fraction
of people who work) is widely regarded as
the best measure.

A

common currency is used to measure the
GDP.


Factors Affecting Productivity
Improvement at Global Level
 Education
 Technology
 Macroeconomic
 Social

policies

and culture environments

 Foreign

aids

 Foreign

investments

 Industry

policies & competition


Why is National Productivity
Important?


Competing on Productivity
 At

the national level, growing productivity

• leads to a higher standard of living
• holds inflation in check
• enhances international competitiveness.
 The

annual GDP growth is partially due to

• growth in productivity
• growth in inflation

National Productivity Measures
( /> Comparisons

within a segment of economy

over time
 Comparisons

of specific productivity

measures
 International

comparisons


Labor Productivity - Percent
Change from Previous Year
2001

2002

2003

1994 2003

Business
Sector

2.2

4.9

4.5

2.6

Non-Farm
Sector

2.1

5.0

4.4

2.6

Manufacturing

2.2

7.2

5.1

4.2

Other Measures Affecting
Productivity
 Efficiency
 Effectiveness
 Quality
 Quality

of Work Life

 Innovation


Efficiency
 Measures

the resources expected to be

consumed to the resources actually
consumed.
 Hence,

it focuses on the input side of the

system. (To what degree did the system
utilize the “right” things.)


Effectiveness
 Measures

what the system sets out to

accomplish (objective) with what was
actually accomplished; plan vs. actual
 Hence,

effectiveness is an output measure.

(Is the output “right” - right quality, right
quantity, on time, etc.)


Quality
 Degree

to which the outputs (products and
services) from the system conform to
requirements or meet customer
expectations.

 The

focus is on quality attributes (e.g.,
conformance, performance, convenience,
responsiveness, perceived quality.)


Quality of Work Life (QWL)
 Measures

the way that employees in a
system respond to the sociotechnical
aspects of that system.


Innovation
 Measures

the applied creativity of the

system.
 Relates

to the design and development of
improved products, services, and
processes.


How Do Those Other Measures
Affect Productivity?